ST demands Mumtaz Qadri's release

RAWALPINDI - Sunni Tehrik (ST) Chief Sarwat Ijaz Qadri has demanded of President Mamnoon Hussain to use his discretionary powers and pardon Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, who is in Adyala Jail in connection with murder of former Governor Punjab Salman Taseer, on the occasion of Jashan-e-Eid Milad-ul-Nabi (SAWW).Sarwat, however, giving a tacit threat to the government said that if the terrorist organisations could free their accomplices by jailbreaks then the cemented walls of Adyala Jail are not strong enough for peaceful activists of PST and they could storm there to obtain the release of their hero.He said this while addressing a mammoth gathering of Tahafuz-e-Namoos-e-Risalat (SAWW) held to mark the completion of three years jail term of Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri and to express solidarity with him.Shabab-e-Islami (SI) head Mufti Muhammad Hanif Qureshi, Tanzim Ulema Zia-ul-Aloom (TUZA) leader Syed Imtiaz Hussain Shah, ST Ghufran Mehmood Sialvi, Mufti Liaquat Ali Rizvi and Maulana Ashfaq Ahmed of Sirat-ul-Mustaqim Organisation (SMO) also spoke on the occasion.Sarwat said that the killers of big leaders have been roaming freely in the country while the one who murdered the sacrilegious Governor Punjab was jailed. The government should make efforts to release Malik Mumtaz Qadri or else PST would launch a massive movement across the country to bring him out of jail.The other speakers also paid a rich tribute to Qadri and asked government to free him. They said that imperial forces are hell-bent to get Qadri punished but PST would never let their dreams true. They said that the Muslim Ummah would not hesitate from rendering any kind of sacrifice for the release of Qadri.Earlier, tens of hundreds of ST, TUZA, SI, SMO and other religious organisations took out a big rally from Jamia-Rizvia Zia-ul-Aloom to Adyala Jail to express solidarity with Mumtaz Qadri and put pressure on the government to release him.In the way, large number of small and big processions joined the rally. The participants of the rally boarding on motorbikes, mini buses, cars and wagons were carrying portraits of Malik Mumtaz Qadri, party flags, wearing green pieces of cloths on their heads and arms mentioning Kalma-e-Tayyaba and the name of Allah and his Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). At every stop, people showered rose petals on the participants of the rally who were chanting slogans in favour of Qadri and against the government. The city experienced gigantic traffic block, posing hardships for commuters and pedestrians. Stringent security measures were adopted on this occasion. The very charged activists, after reaching outside Adyala Jail chanted slogans.Malik Muhammad Bashir, the father of Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, crowned PST Head Sarwat Ijaz Qadri with turban sent by his son from the jail. The other family members of imprisoned Qadri were also present there.

This news was published in The Nation newspaper. Read complete newspaper of 05-Jan-2014 here.